Archive for December, 2006

… Keeping all these things in mind, if our state government could make a KBK University (from the Biju KBK grant or a separate grant of 100 crores for 3 yrs), it would be easier to convert it to a central university later on, which happened earlier to Institute of Life Sciences, Institute of Physics, Allahabad University and some other North Eastern State Universities. …

All great cities have a university with the same name. In India there is Delhi University, Bombay University, Kolkata Univesrity, Chennai University, Bangalore University, Pune University, Allahabad University, Lucknow University, University of Hyderabad, etc. Now that Bhubaneswar is growing up as a city it needs a university with the same name as the city. (Note that even in Orissa there is Sambalpur University and Berhempur University named after the towns they are in.)

For this one need not start from scratch. BJB College is perhaps the top college in Orissa now. (Ravenshaw, which is now a university, was better in some areas.) R. D. Womens College is also among the top two womens colleges in the state. CET (College of Engineering and Technology) is now preferred over other state engineering colleges.

The Art of Living Foundation plans a private university in Orissa. Its chief Sri Sri Ravishankar arrived in Bhubaneswar on December 10th 2006 and is expected to sign an MOU with the Orissa government on this university. The location of the university is tentatively identified as Naraj. (Note that NISER is also expected to be located in that area. Also it was earlier mentioned that the proposed National Law University will be located in Naraj.)

University College of Engineering, Burla(UCE Burla) in Sambalpur district of Orissa is the oldest Engineering College of Orissa. The Orissa government and many people of Orissa (including UCE Burla alumni) would like UCE Burla to be upgraded to one of the proposed IIESTs (Indian institute of Engineeing Science and Technology).

A Committee constituted by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) under the chairmanship of Shri Kapil Sibal, the then Minister of State for Science & Technology and Ocean Development had submitted a report on 2.7.2005 containing essential provisions of the draft legislation envisaged under Article 21 A of the Constitution which makes education a Fundamental Right for children in the age group of 6-14 years.

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For making Right to Education a reality, adequate financial provisions are necessary. In this context the matter has been taken up with the Planning Commission to make an unequivocal commitment to enhancing public spending on education to 6% of the GDP during the 11th Plan.

Samaja, in its front page today, lists (page 1, page 2) various requests by Orissa over the years and how they have been turned down by the central government. It gives the letter number of the letter that the Chief minister wrote in Nov 2005 to the center on KBK university and mentions how the idea has been hijacked and a proposal for a tribal university in Amarkantak, Madhya pradesh (the home state of the HRD minister) has been floated.

Here is an excerpt from his interview with Sekhar Gupta.•The problem is higher education right now?

Higher education is a problem. What has happened is we suddenly realised that if the economy is now growing at 8 per cent, and could grow at 9 per cent, the skills the economy needs will become a constraint.

In July 1997 during the OSA convention a few people developed a plan to introuduce B.Sc (honors) in Computer Science in Orissa colleges. This plan was written up and in December it was brought up with the Orissa government. That time the additional Chief Secretary Dr. P. K. Mishra liked the idea very much and while we were in the secretariate discussing the plan the BJB College principal and few others were called and the plan was further discussed. It was decided then and there to open this in BJB, Rama Devi, Ravenshaw, Govt. College Rourkela and few other colleges. (My memory fails me.)

The main idea was to train the excellent mathematics and physics lecturers so that

A year back we all wrote to the PM and Mrs. Gandhi about the NIS
shifting and our letters significantly contributed in convincing the govt
of India to announce the establishment of NISER.
There is a similar opportunity now and we must not let it go.

The Planning Commission is in the process of making its 11th plan and
there have been news items saying that they plan to include 3 new IITs,
several IIMs, some central universities, etc. in that plan. It is reported that
some HRD officials have said that “We will look at new town and cities
for establishing the centres of excellence.”

Thus the timing is right to demand that one of the new IITs (at an estimated cost
of 4000 crores) be in Orissa and that a central university be established in the KBK area.

Last year you took up the case of the National Institute of Science
and met the prime minister about it and it had a huge impact.

We have embarked on a campaign to have one of the new IITs in Orissa
and have a central university in the KBK region. We have written the
attached letter to the prime minister, the HRD minister, the
minister of tribal affairs, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and the planning
commission.

In the past you have championed the cause of the backward districts
of Orissa and fought for the approval of the Vijaywada-Ranchi
highway. You have also augmented the KBK BRGF with the Biju KBK
program and have written an editorial in Indian Express on tribal
welfare.